In October 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter and has since been running the platform, now under a new name, X. Musk’s acquisition of the platform has been controversial. Even now, it remains fiercely debated whether his ownership of the platform is good for the public.
Supporters argue that Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has several positive effects. Firstly, Musk is known for his innovative thinking and ambitious vision. His involvement in Twitter has led to the advent of new features and ways of using the platform that benefit users. In a few months of his ownership, he has made verification more accessible and made it possible for users to monetize their ad reach. Musk’s takeover has and will likely continue to make the platformmore accessible to people of different viewpoints, as he has cracked down on the closure and suspension of accounts based on their political ideology. This has preserved free speech and made the platform more engaging.
Critics of this takeover question Musk’s business intentions and management style. Firstly, they argue that Musk’s takeover of the platform has made it worse, as there have been several changes that have impeded public use, such as view/tweet limits, and the introduction of different features for verified accounts. Musk’s push for more users to pay to be verified has also divided the platform and created a more privileged, verified class, which is the opposite of what Musk claimed he would do. Lastly, Musk’s pursuit of greater free speech on the platform hasenabled hate speech and harassment, which has made Twitter toxic to the general public who use it due to a lack of a competent alternative.
How has Musk’s acquisition of Twitter changed the platform? Are there as many positive improvements as there are negative trends? And lastly, what trends and criteria accurately show how the public has reacted to Musk’s ownership of the platform and the new policies he enacted?
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